Blind Love
by selachophobia
Summary: Penny is a Healer from America, tending to the wounded in Hogwarts' hospital wing after the war. Severus is recovering from Nagini's bite, with a new lease on life. The tentative friendship between these two grows into something much more like love- Penny's nightly visits certainly help! Just something cute and short, all for my love of Snape :)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a Snape/OC story, post-war, post-Nagini bite, etc. He obviously survived the bite and is recovering in the hospital wing at Hogwarts and when Madam Pomfrey is away, my little OC keeps a curious eye on good ol****' ****Severus. He****'****s going through quite a few changes now. Merlin knows that man has a lot on his mind- he****'****s got his whole future ahead of him and with only himself as the captain. Exciting, right? Yes, I thought so as well. Have fun! :)**

* * *

"Miss Nova, when you are finished with that patient, I need your help with something," Madam Pomfrey called out.

Penny quickly replied with a "Sure thing, Madam Pomfrey, right away!" She just had to grab a potion and wrap a fresh bandage around the girl's mangled leg and it would almost be time for a lunch break. _Merlin! I__'__m just about starved!_ she thought to herself.

She could hear low grumbling behind the curtain next to her patient as she tied off the wrapping. With the girl asleep, she cleaned up the area before stepping over to where Madam Pomfrey was standing next to the man in the bed. It was not the first time she had seen that tight-lipped look on the older woman's face.

"You needed me, Madam?" she politely inquired. Penny was too new and temporary to be able to become friends with the woman, but they were nice enough to each other. While she waited for a reply, she briefly glanced over the patient. His legs were long enough to slightly be off the end of the bed. Of course, the beds at Hogwarts were for _children_, so it would make sense that such a tall man would not fit. _He does not exactly look very comfortable, though_...

But then Madam Pomfrey turned to her with supplies in her hands and gestured her to step closer to the bed. "He needs more Blood-Replenishing Potion and Murtlap Essence. Can you make fresh batches of both as soon as possible?" Without waiting for an answer, she began unwrapping the man's bandages on his neck. "Professor, stop wiggling around. Do you _wish_ to get an infection after all that work we did?"

Without another word, Penny decided to just skip lunch and immediately went to her brewing station in the other room. She did not know that by volunteering to help out in the hospital wing at Hogwarts would lead to her own starvation of food and sleep!

* * *

She worked in silence, just like she preferred to, while hovering beside her cauldron. Her potions professor back in America had taught her well. Penny was top of her class and had graduated with an apprenticeship at the school's hospital wing waiting for her. So she was used to that kind of environment and was not really nervous when the head nurse had told her about an opportunity at Hogwarts. She was not much of a traveller, but she would choose portkeys over planes any day.

They had told her about the war, but it was very different when she actually saw the destruction afterwards in person. By the time she had arrived the war was over and the deceased had been taken away. She was brought straight to the hospital wing and had begun treating patients immediately. The other volunteers rushed all around her, but somehow she remained calm during the most hectic times. Patients would certainly not benefit from the nurses panicking. But she also had an odd ability to soothe a person's injuries as well as their anxiety. It was the main reason she even decided to take up Healing. She was a natural at it and did enjoy helping others. Luckily for her, she could combine her talent in potions with her healing apprenticeship.

When the Blood-Replenishing Potion was ready, she took it off the flame and waited for it to cool. She started to prepare the ingredients for Murtlap Essence and her mind drifted into relaxed nothingness.

* * *

"Madam Pomfrey, I brought you three bottles of each and put the others in the cupboard by your office. They are labelled and sitting in the front of the middle shelf. I hope th-Oh!" Penny had been talking aloud, thinking that the woman was in the room. However, she stopped short when she saw the man sitting stiffly in his bed, with nobody else around. "Excuse me, sir, but did you see where Madam Pomfrey went?"

He lazily glanced in her direction before simply saying in his rough voice, "I did not."

_Well. Okay then..._

It had been quite some time since she had left to brew, so she had no idea where to find Madam Pomfrey when she was not in the hospital wing. Maybe she had gone to lunch? Although that would have been pretty crappy of Madam Pomfrey to tell her to make potions, and therefore be forced to skip lunch, because she had asked her to!

She knew she could not ask the patient what he was supposed to take, and she could guess that he needed one of each, however he was not her patient. So she would have to wait. But the vibe the dark haired man was giving off was not exactly inviting, so she put the bottles in the pocket of her apron and left to check on the other patients.

Right after the battle, there was not enough room for all of the injured, so they had to be split up. Hogwarts' hospital had been clearing out for a few weeks until only about ten to fifteen people were left. They were mostly students from the school, except for the mysterious professor.

She could remember when he had arrived in the ward with a horrifying amount of blood on himself. Penny and Madam Pomfrey had worked quickly to stop the bleeding, but it really was a bad injury. His neck had been ripped open and he was gargling blood as he tried to talk. The only reason he had survived was because he had patted a pocket of his black robes after Penny had touched the skin of his neck. That odd little power she had had brought him down from his frantic movements and she was able to retrieve a bottle from him that turned out to be anti-venom. She remembered thinking, "A _snake_ did this?" and was disturbed to say the least.

About a half-hour later, Madam Pomfrey walked into the room with a happy look on her face. _Oh, sure, I would be smiling too if I__'__d had a sandwich... or even a crumb!_ she thought, a bit annoyed. Even though she was a relatively calm person, hunger and exhaustion would make anyone a little edgy.

With an inward sigh, Penny followed the school's nurse into her office. "Madam? I just wanted to tell you that I finished brewing and put the extras in your cupboard. I have three of each here in my pocket for you. Was there anything else you needed?" She handed over the bottles and was dismissed.

She had to stop herself from sprinting to the kitchens where a very nice elf made a delicious meal for her. It certainly made up for the fact that she had not eaten since the night before!


	2. Chapter 2

Snape had long ago developed a resistance to sleeping potions, but Poppy was not aware of it. Therefore, every night he would simply close his eyes after taking it, letting the woman think he was asleep. But as soon as it was silent he would open his eyes and stare up at the ceiling. People never looked up enough, in his opinion.

If he was feeling daring, he would stumble all the way to the large window and then spend the night staring into the darkness. Poppy never came back to check on him after giving him his potions, so he really was free to do as he pleased. Although, his neck bothered him enough that it felt weird to move around. The blood he had lost also made him light headed. The wound was still not healed and would ooze onto the bandage, which just thinking about it made him grimace.

He did not feel like getting up tonight, though. His potions had not kicked in yet, so he feet a tad woozy. It did not help that his eyesight was not getting better. He found himself staring at things in the hopes that he would see fine details again. But the anti-venom did not completely heal him.

Poppy was still trying to figure out how to fix his vision. That damned snake had managed to partially blind Snape with her venom. Like it was not bad enough that his throat had been mutilated and would never be the same again, but then he had to lose most of his eyesight. He could not even think about how it would affect him when he could go back to brewing potions. If he continued to teach those little idiots he would need his vision back. Otherwise, they would blow the whole place up and it would be his fault._ Everything is always my fault_, he thought to himself with a sigh.

* * *

After staring at the ceiling for another hour or two, waiting for a miracle, Snape heard the hospital's door open quietly. Without his eyes, he could focus on sharpening his other senses, which was possibly the only benefit from his situation.

He had no idea who would be prowling around the hospital in the dead of night, but it wasn't like he could peek out from behind the screen and find out, could he. But if it _was_ Poppy... he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep again.

The soft steps seemed to stop at the front of everyone's bed, so he waited until the intruder stood at his feet. Poppy had never checked on patients in the middle of the night before, so he felt compelled to open his eyes enough to see a blurry form. It was a small person dressed in a bright blue outfit of some sort. Snape tried to study them as best he could, but then he saw the person pull out their wand.

He could not stop the panic bubbling up. His body tensed as he waited for the intruder to send the killing curse at him. _I have absolutely no luck whatsoever. I am going to die now and it won__'__t even be for anything important, like saving the world! Shit._

But he kept waiting. Until the person... a woman? _She_ whispered something under her breath and he surprisingly felt nothing happen to his body. _What exactly did she just do?_

He felt something by his feet, but it was not pain. He was confused to say the least.

* * *

As soon as the mystery woman left the room, Snape's eyes snapped open and he sat up in his bed. He stared hard at the foot of his bed, trying to figure out just what the witch had done. He was sure he had not heard her speak to anyone else while she was in there, but she had certainly done _something _to him.

He carefully ran his fingers across the blanket at the end of the bed. His still had sensitive fingertips that could detect some sort of magic on the area.

When he figured it out, he was dumbstruck. All he could think was "Why?" and "Who _was_ she?"

* * *

The next morning, Poppy did not mention anything that had happened. He was eyeing everybody who passed his cubicle all day, but no one had appeared wearing an obnoxious blue outfit. _Perhaps they were her sleeping clothes_, he thought to himself. Then he felt his face heat slightly at the thought of a strange woman roaming about... in nothing but her pajamas. It was improper! Snape was glad for once that he had not seen her clearly, because he would have been embarrassed, undoubtedly.

Smothering his damned blush, much to his mortification, he saw a blur walk over to his bedside. He hoped to the gods that the person didn't notice his discomfort on his face.

A somewhat familiar voice calmly asked him, "Sir, Madam Pomfrey asked me to change your neck bandage. You don't mind, do you?" If he could, he would have rolled his eyes at her. But he held back and gave her a stiff nod to proceed.

He recognized her voice from the day before when she had asked him if he had seen Poppy. She must have not known about his eyes, or else he would have snarled at the little chit. He could see her enough to notice her small stature, but it was driving him insane that he could not see details. It was from his days as a spy that he was good at remembering important things like a person's hair color or eye color. Of course, he could just _ask_ her. But then she would wonder why he was asking and then _another_ person would know about _another_ weakness of his. As if Poppy did not know enough about him as a child and an adult!

But then her fingertips touched the bare skin above the bandage and he felt himself relax into the bed. It was a peculiar feeling he remembered experiencing before. Instead of tensing and snapping at her like he would normally have done, he found himself softly saying, "I know you...?"

There was a breeze across his face as she brought her head up to look at him. _Is that peppermint?_ Then she continued to gently pull off the tape from his skin. He was proud of himself for not even flinching when the gauze caught on the broken skin.

Finally, when the old one was removed, she turned to him with a clean one and murmured, "Yes." But that was it. Nothing more. He inwardly sighed when he realized he would have to actually _actively talk_ to the woman.

"How?" He could certainly play the one-word game with her, as long as she did.

As she quickly waved her wand at him with a cleansing charm, he slightly jerked. _That_ voice was the one who made his bed longer for him the night before. It was _her_!


	3. Chapter 3

Penny had pressed a fresh bandage to the professor's throat and thought of what to tell him. With a deep breath, she started by saying, "Well, sir, I was there the day you were brought in here. I helped Madam Pomfrey to s-stop the blood." Thinking about what he had looked like at first always made her sick to her stomach. It might have not been as bad if he had not been trying to talk at the time. She still hadn't figured out what he was trying to say to them, just that he had an anxious and stricken look on his face.

He looked uncomfortable again, so she barely touched the top of his hand to soothe him. He still would not meet her eyes, but his shoulders did relax and his lips had loosened a bit.

Instead of continuing with that line of conversation, she asked him, "So I hear that you are a professor. May I ask what it is that you teach?"

The man's dark hair fell further around his face. It reminded her of a little embarrassed boy, and she could not keep the little smile off of her face. But she immediately scolded herself. The professor was in no way shape or form a little boy. _I just had to extend his bed, for Merlin__'__s sake!_

"Potions," he finally mumbled in his deep voice. She wondered if it had always been so low and rough. Then she realized what he had told her and got excited at the prospect of having a friend while at Hogwarts.

"Oh? Well, it just so happens that _I_ am interested in potions. My apprenticeship at the school's hospital wing lets me combine healing and potions, which is just about _perfect_, isn't it?"

Her spirits were so lifted that she couldn't find it in herself to be ashamed of her gushing to the poor man. If he had not been bedridden, Penny hardly doubted he would have stuck around to listen to her some more.

The professor just nodded in her direction before she turned away to clean up the cubicle.

"Well, Professor, I think you're coming along very nicely. You are going to have a sore neck for awhile once the wounds are completely healed, of course. But overall, I believe you are going to be just fine." She smiled at him, but his gaze did not meet hers.

"I am not currently a professor, but a patient. You may call me Severus."

With a nod, she replied, "Nice to meet you, Severus. My name is Penelope, but people call me Penny."

At that, she patted his hand and stepped out from behind the dividers.

* * *

That night, she decided to check up on the patients just before midnight. Sleep did not come very easily to her most nights, but she did not want to make a habit of walking about the castle. Since it was still awaiting reconstruction, it had an eerie vibe to it.

The walk to the hospital wing was short enough and she silently crept inside. She tiptoed down the line of beds to see that everyone was fine and asleep.

Something made her pause longer in front of a quiet Severus. It was interesting that he did not snore when he slept on his back. Back sleepers were known snorers. But he was silent and still. She began to worry that he wasn't even breathing, so she crept closer to his bed.

She softly cast a diagnosis spell to check his vitals. She was happy to see that he was indeed alive and well.

As she turned to sneak out, a low voice said, "What did you do this time, Penny?"

If she was not such a calm person, she would have screeched in surprise. She turned back to look at him with wide eyes. "Sir, you scared me! I only checked to make sure you were breathing, because you were so quiet and not moving." Then she realized that he knew that she had been there the night before. "Also, last night, all I did was extend your bed. It didn't seem very comfortable for a man your size," she shrugged awkwardly.

There was a long moment of contemplative silence. It seemed that neither of them knew how to proceed.

"I told you to call me Severus. When I hear 'sir' I think of the half-wits I am forced to teach." She could have sworn she sensed amusement from him, so she smiled at him.

"They can't be _that_ bad, since you continue to teach, right?"

She did not know what triggered him to shut down, but whatever she said made his face absolutely blank.

There was another pause in their whispered conversation- this time it was awkward though.

She knew she had to fix the situation since she was the cause of his discomfort. Severus did not seem to mind when she touched him, but he also did not seem to be the touch-y feel-y type either. Laying her fingertips just barely on his arm, she absorbed his tension and watched him physically ease. It was the least she could do for him after making a statement that was apparently off limits.

"Well, Severus, I am going to get out of your hair now. I hope you like the bed now. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to let me know. Goodnight, then."


	4. Chapter 4

He still felt like a heel for not thanking Penny properly. After all, she had noticed how uncomfortable the bed was for him, while Poppy probably still did not realize.

Snape was also upset at himself for reacting like he did when she unknowingly reminded him of how he got his job and why he continued doing it for so long. He had been able to sense _her_ sensing _his_ apprehension. She probably thought he was barmy!

He sighed and absently rubbed his forehead. Sometimes he wished to be Obliviated just so he could have a clean start. But then he felt selfish for complaining about his life when so many others had suffered during the time of the Dark Lord. He was extremely lucky to have survived all that he did. And now he had a whole future ahead of him, with nobody controlling him for the first time ever in his life.

He was off to a great start, as his encounters with the witch showed. It was like he did not know how to be himself and act like a normal human being. _Oh, Merlin, I am going to have to do some... __"__soul searching__"__, aren__'__t I? _he thought to himself, disgusted.

In the morning, Snape would just have to come up with some way to apologize to Penny without having to explain his reaction. He simply would _not_ allow the first person to meet the "real" him and walk away thinking he was a nutter.

* * *

However, his plan backfired when he did not see her the next day. Of course, he could have just mistaken her blurred figure with another's. But he did not hear her voice all day either, so he was getting the feeling that either she was avoiding him, or had lost her way around the castle... or decided to take a day off of work... or was somehow taken by Death Eater stragglers.

_No, Miss Nova is absolutely fine. Safe and sound in her quarters. Or flitting about the room and I am too blind to notice._

Snape had the unnerving feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. It made him twitchy and restless. He moved to stand up, to walk off some of the energy. There was a bit of dizziness, but he felt fine enough to get off his bed and step out of his cubicle.

As soon as his foot touched the ground, Penny swept into the room with something large in her arms. She shut the large door and called out to Poppy, "Madam Pomfrey, I have those potions you wanted! The last batch of Skele-gro was finally ready just a while ago. I- Hey!" She turned to find Snape standing next to his screen. He watched her struggle with what he imagined to be a large box as she came over to him.

When he tried to take it from her to help, she pulled it away from him and said, "Severus, just _what_ do you think you are doing, hm? First of all, you should not stroll about without someone with you. What if you pass out or something? Second, do not even _think_ about lifting heavy objects when you have a hard enough time holding _yourself_ up. Take it slow, _sir_."

Even with his blurred vision, he could tell that the cheeky little thing _smirked_ at his scowl and made her way to Poppy's office. Although he wanted to reprimand her like he would if she was a student, he felt a minuscule smile creep onto his face.

* * *

He went back to his bed, but stood at the window. The dread from earlier had dissipated, but he wondered where it had come from in the first place. Or at least _why_ he felt that for a person he barely knew.

"Why, Severus, you must be feeling a bit rebellious today. You should not stand for too long. Don't push yourself too hard just yet." Penny stepped into his cubicle an hour after she had arrived at the hospital wing.

Instead of turning around, he continued staring out the window. "I must apologize for last night, Penny. Suffice it to say that I did not intend to ruin a perfectly fine visit. I also wish to properly thank you for the whole... bed thing," he gestured vaguely with his hand. Again, he wished he could see her clearly enough to see her facial expressions and reactions. He had no idea what she was thinking or feeling until she spoke, which drove him mad.

Snape heard her let out a little sigh and then step up closer to him. "You did not ruin anything last night, I promise. I'm just sorry that I said something to upset you in some way. I didn't mean to pry." She put her hand on his arm and he could feel the warmth through his shirt. It was not the exact feeling he got when she touched his hand or his neck, but it was the comfort he needed. "And you're welcome for the 'whole bed thing'," she said to him, teasingly.

Part of him wanted to become defensive at the girl daring to mock him. But he knew enough about her that he just scoffed at her, making her laugh. It might have been the first time he had heard her laugh, he was struck by how nice it sounded. Her laugh was not cruel, but was joyful. He was taken aback slightly for a minute. I_ caused her to be happy, even for a moment?_

* * *

"Now let's get you back in bed before Madam Pomfrey gives me hell for letting you roam about the room." She took his elbow and all but dragged him to the bed and made him sit down. "Severus, you are going to get me kicked out if you keep breaking the rules. Apparently you've succeeded in making me a bit of a pushover!"

When he sat back on the bed with his legs up, she turned to leave only to turn back to him. "If you are _really_ feeling mutinous and want to get out some, I might have something for you..." She let the unasked question dangle in front of him. When he looked up into her face, he could not tell whether or not it was a good something or a bad something. Although, why would she offer him something bad to do with his time? He trusted her enough to know that she was trying to help him out.

He raised a brow at her, indicating for her to continue. He could hear the smile in her voice when she told him, "Oh, you're going to _love_ it, I promise! You know how Madam Pomfrey has me making every potion and salve needed? Well, what if I could get her to let you work with me? I could most certainly use your help! What do you think?"

She was obviously thrilled by her idea. And so was he... for about a second, until he realized _why_ she had to be in charge of the hospital's potions in the first place. He wanted to pummel himself when he knew he would have to turn her down in a way that did not reveal the fact that he was too blind to be trusted with a knife or a wand, especially not around an open flame. _Or_ he could tell her just how serious his injury really was.

Snape had a choice to make.

"Penny, I must tell you that while your offer is one I greatly appreciate, I cannot accept. I..." He threw his legs over the side of the bed and then looked up at her. With a sigh he told her, "The snake that did this to my neck managed to get venom in my eyes. I am partially blind in my eyes now. Everything is a blurry mess and it is no longer possible for me to brew." He could not stop the despair from entering his voice. Just when he had the freedom to do whatever pleased him, which was being the ultimate Potions Master with a proper shop and everything, he had to narrowly escape death only to be blinded. Not even _completely_ blinded. With everything blurred, it felt like his own eyes were teasing with what he used to be able to see, but no longer actually see. He had never thought in a million years that this would be the thing to hold him back.

She came to stand in front of him and gently lift his face up. She must have been examining his eyes. They were no longer a crisp black. Poppy told him they were "more milky than inky".

"Why did you not tell me? I told you to not hesitate to ask me for anything and I meant it. I could have been researching this whole time for antidotes and cures!"

Since she was not really yelling at him, he didn't speak up. He attempted to meet her eyes, but he had only a vague idea as to where he was actually looking.

With a determined air, she sternly said to him, "Severus, I _will_ find a way to fix this. Trust me. In the meantime, you will help me with brewing. We just won't give you a knife, alright?"

He could feel how pathetic his attempt at a smile back at her was. _Great. Another little swot who orders me around. As if I need _**another**_ woman in my life to take charge! Although, her methods are not _**so**_ bad. A pretty, young thing fighting back is not the _**worst**_ thing in the world, right?_


	5. Chapter 5

Penny loved working side by side with Severus. Even mostly blind, he was amazing just how skilled he was. If she ever had spare time, she thought she might bring up the subject of them doing some experimental brewing with him. She watched his expressions over their cauldrons, and even Mr. Stoic could not stop the relaxed smile from showing on his face. It was lovely.

But as soon as thoughts like those popped up into her head, Penny mentally smacked herself for thinking unprofessional things. Severus had never done anything to make her think that he would be open to any sort of… romantic types of things. But sometimes she wanted to believe that when she touched him, to calm him, that he might like her touch just because.

Maybe it would be different if he wasn't a patient. A silly thought came to her— that maybe he would approach her once he was done with treatment.

Her head ached from going around in circles whenever her mind latched onto the subject of Severus. The whole thing made her feel like a stupid little girl with a ridiculous crush.

* * *

The man plaguing the young nurse's thoughts was stirring the potion, feeling completely at ease, finally in his element. He made sure that his hair fell forward, shielding his happiness from Penny's gaze. He couldn't be sure, but just in case she did look at him, he didn't want her to make fun of him for enjoying such a simple thing as brewing an antiseptic potion. Not that she had ever laughed at him for such a thing before, but he was quickly realizing just how much the girl was affecting him.

It was a thrilling sort of sensation to be so close to Penny. She insisted on being near in case he needed her to "be his eyes". But it was borderline painful to not be able to see the Healer, yet still be able to catch faint trails of peppermint from her as she flitted about.

Madam Pomfrey was too busy to keep an eye on them, which made him feel like a schoolboy again, sneaking around and breaking rules. Not that he would do anything _untoward_ to her charming young assistant. He could think of a few things he would _like_ to do, however…

Shaking his head slightly to rearrange his thoughts, he seemed to have caught Penny's attention, because she turned toward him and put a gentle hand on his forearm. There was only a stronger, more importantly _improper_, feeling that resulted. He was surprised since she usually calmed him this way. He wondered if she even knew what she did to him.

* * *

After countless brewing sessions and nighttime visits, she knew she was falling for her friend. He wasn't even trying! Sometimes she just wanted to blurt out how she felt, but he was blind, not deaf. If he didn't feel the same way, which he probably didn't, she recognized, then it would be pretty awkward for their friendship. And she did not want that. She would not be the reason that he could no longer have a blast brewing potions. There was no way Madam Pomfrey would have the time to stand around, making sure Severus didn't cut off his fingers or burn himself or use the wrong ingredients.

So, it was decided. Penny would just keep her mouth shut and hope that those pesky feelings would go away by the time she left for America, after everyone in the hospital wing was stable and healed.

* * *

Weeks of "accidental" touching left Severus feeling like he was in too deep. He knew for sure one night when she brought up her plans to leave after she was no longer needed. It wasn't the first time he cursed his almost nonexistent vision, since he could not sense her emotions.

_Was she sad to go? Would she keep in touch? What if something happened to her in America?_

The only thing he did voice was, "And if you are still needed…?"

He felt a tad bit braver at night for some reason. That was the only explanation he could come up with for his idiotic version of flirtation. He was so out of the game that he wondered if she even realized what he was really saying.

There was a brief pause, one he couldn't quite figure out if it was a good or bad. Then he jerked slightly when he felt her lips on his cheek.

Severus stared down at her as best he could before reaching up to touch her mouth with his sensitive fingertips. She had small, soft lips, with a cupid's bow. He felt her sigh brush over his hand and slid it into her fine hair to pull her closer. With her help, their lips met smoothly with each other. He couldn't believe how forward he was being. But as long as Penny kept her hold on him, he couldn't find it in himself to pull back and stop.

But she did pull back to breathe. They were close enough that he felt like he could see her eyes. _Light brown, maybe hazel?_ He ran his hands through her hair again, trying to figure out the color. The moon was not bright enough that night, but it seemed to be dark blonde. He continued to explore her features in the hopes of putting together a mental picture of this lovely witch.

"Severus?" she whispered.

When he looked down again, she latched onto him, hugging him tightly. He wasn't exactly experienced in hugging, but he did his best to hold her just as tight. It was lucky that she nuzzled her face in the side of his neck without the wound. That would have been a mood killer…

* * *

"I've fallen for you. I don't want to leave you. I know I could love you." She paused in her passionate outburst. "If I stay, I would be staying for you. Please, just tell me if you've come to care for me too. Love takes time, I know that. But if you aren't ready to commit or whatever, then…"

She was taken aback for sure when he interrupted her with a snort.

He seemed to realize his mistake when he felt how heavy the silence was. Quickly, he told her, "I'm only amused about the commitment thing. It's just… I'm probably the most committed man you have ever met. You don't know the whole of what I did during the war, but I assure you, I- I can be trusted with your heart, Penelope."

She smiled so brightly even he could see it.

"You can trust me with your heart, too, you know. I'm trustworthy. I mean, look, you've been brewing for months without losing any fingers or anything."

His answering grin made her stomach flip excitedly. She felt his hand feel for hers, then he brought it up to his lips.

"My little Healer," he said affectionately. Then he smirked a little at her. "I don't know why Fate was cruel enough to stick you with me… are you sure _you're _not the blind one?"

Silenced with a kiss, they continued their earlier explorations of each other… at least until a polite cough came from the other side of the divider.

"Miss Nova?"

Madam Pomfrey didn't look as surprised as they thought she would be. She just raised an eyebrow at them, making Penny blush and wrap her blue nightclothes tighter as she squeezed past her boss.

Severus just winked and laid back down, sighing happily.

* * *

**AN: That's it! I've had the first few chapters just sitting in my computer, waiting to be unleashed. I hope you guys liked it as much as I did! :)**


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